Days: 3 - 5
Sept 18-20, 2006
Conversion rate on
our visit:
$1.27 = €1.00
Bacharach
                       
   
What We Had
Sunny & Wonderful
High: 60° F Low: 48° F
Averages
High: 60° F Low: 48° F
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Page Index
WOW Moments
•  Market Place
•  Vineyards
What We Learned
•  Things about Bacharach and
Germany
What We Saw
•  Open Air Museum
•  Rheinfels Castle
•  Tour Down the Rhine (St. Goar
to Bacharach)
•  Tour of Bacharach with Herr
Jung
Where We Ate
•  Hotel Kranenturm & Restaurant
Where We Stayed
•  Hotel Kranenturm

 
  Overview On to Bacharach

We left Haarlem early in the morning (this turned out to be true on each travel day) heading southeast to Bacharach (along the Rhine).  Just before we crossed the border into Germany, we stopped at the Open Air Museum in Arnhem, (sight of the World War II operation Market Garden).  

The open air museum is a huge park with an outstanding display of (and an immersion into) the Dutch culture represented by a farmhouse, drawbridge, a bakery, windmill, laundry, and much more. 

Open Air Museum, Arnhem

There are a number of places to eat and an a great indoor museum at the entrance.  We particularly enjoyed the "poffertjes" (small pancakes) at the traditional stalls in the Zann District.

Back on the road we crossed into Germany (paralleling the Rhine), passed by Essen, Düsseldorf and Köln.  After we exited the autobahn, we reached our destination...the small but very picturesque town of Bacharach.  Our hotel was located in one of the towers that made up the city's outer wall.  The tower 

Front of the hotel

was 700+ years old!  The rooms were great, the innkeepers were delightful and the restaurant was outstanding (we had dinner there both nights).  Fatima (co-owner and decorator) insured our rooms and meals were as expected, while Kurt (Fatima's husband, appearing only briefly after dinner) made certain the food was fast (not fast-food), delicious and hot!  There was a very busy train line which ran along the old city wall, but honestly it wasn't a problem.

The day we arrived the weather was typical of a travel day (cloudy with some rain).  We walked around for a while getting a feel for the sites we would see the next day.  Not much was open but even so the town was a delight.

Herr Jung explains the `Back Door`

The following day we met our tour guide, Herr Jung, early for a wonderful walk around 
Bacharach.  You'd think a town this small wouldn't have a lot to talk about, but Herr Jung proved that wrong.  In particular, he told us of life in the town from the middle ages through today.  He also gave some special insight into the time during and after World War II showing us there are clearly two sides to every situation.

That afternoon we boarded our bus for a trip up river to St. Goar.  We grabbed a quick lunch, did some shopping and then walked up to Castle Rheinfels for an entertaining (and informative) tour.  We finished off the afternoon by taking a boat tour of the Rhine back down to Bacharach.
   
 
 
  WOW Moments Market Place
I'm certain that most of us thought the town of Bacharach was a Wow!  If there is ever a stereotype of what a small town in Germany should look like it has to be Bacharach. 
   
 
 
  WOW Moments Vineyards
We've all heard of Rhine wine, but probably never gave a thought to what that meant.  The view of the vineyards from Bacharach and on our Rhine cruise amazed us.  The slops were very steep and COVERED with vineyards.  Wow!
 
 
  What We Learned Things about Bacharach and Germany
 
Life in Germany during WWII and beyond
  Herr Jung talked to us about his life during and after WWII. This is the first time we have heard the "German perspective". He told us of his brother who went to fight in Russia, never to return. He told us of living in the Russian sector after the war and how he barely escaped dying for his beliefs and finally his profound belief that if you're not prepared for war, you will fight one! It wasn't simply the fact that he said these things. it was his sincerity! Not just a story, rather...his life.  
​
Walled City
  Bacharach was our first introduction to a 'walled' city. Seeing one is sure different then hearing about them. From the Rhine, it was clear the protection the wall provided. We often forget the dangers of every day life in the middle ages!  
​
Rhine Wine
  Rhine wine...we've all heard the term. Seeing the vineyards along the slopes of the Rhine gave it meaning. We also learned how they harvest the grapes even on the extremely steep slopes! Very ingenious.  

​​
   
 
 
  What We Saw Open Air Museum
 

​The open air museum showed us a great deal about the culture and life of the Dutch in a nutshell.  We spent a few hours learning how the Dutch lived and what they ate.  
Open Air Museum
Hoeferlaan 4
6816 SG Arnhem
Tel: +31 (0)26-3576111
FAX: +31 (0)26-3576147
      
 
 
  What We Saw Tour of Bacharach with Herr Jung


Bacharach is located on the Rhine River.  The town was/is primarily a wine producer (although tourism is now a key industry).  The very large keg sits along the road which runs between the town and the Rhine.  The keg reflects the pride they have in their heritage and the products they still produce from the vineyards above and around the town.

Herr Jung met us after breakfast and guided our tour around the town.  He started at the town's water well (right).  Important because no one can survive a siege without water. As part of his introduction, Herr Jung used pictures of Bacharach in 1632 to show us that not a lot has changed since then.   We moved to the center of town stopping to take pictures of the red and white Altes Haus built in 1368.  From there we pass between the buildings, up the hill behind the town to a grape vineyard.  Being so steep, it had to be tricky to harvest the grapes

The town almost looks artificial...as if it was built for the tourists and the grapes (ready to be picked) looked like they were hung on the vines just for us to find.

The Werner Kapelle Cathedral built between the 13th and 15th centuries, was significantly damaged in 1689 as a result of the French bombing of Stahleck Castle.  Partial restoration occurred in 1990 to prevent the remaining structure from deteriorating further. 
 
 
  What We Saw Rheinfels Castle


Rheinfels Castle is located next to the town of St. Goar. We visited the town first, did some shopping and had lunch. Many of our group picked a small café along the Heer Strasse, but we just picked up a couple of sweets and shopped instead.

Next we walked up to the Rheinfels Castle...a steep 15 minute walk. There we met our tour guide, Gunter.  He sure fit the definition of a German castle guide. Before the actual tour, we were rewarded with a wonderful view down the Rhine. If you look closely at the bottom picture, you'll see a castle in the upper left corner. That's the next castle downriver on the Rhine. Boats moving down the Rhine (our side of the river) or up the Rhine (the other side of the river) were charged a toll at the location of the castles. Chains were used to stop the boats and they wouldn't be removed until the toll was paid. They had dungeons for those that refused payment.

You'll also see a picture of someone moving through a tunnel under More Pictures. The tunnels are just big enough to crutch through. Some of our group actually made it all the way. The tunnels were originally used to trap enemy soldiers.

We learned that the castle was the largest on the Rhine and never lost through war. The French did take control of it when it was voluntarily given to them. After holding it for some time, they decided they were too far from Paris, destroyed the castle and went home. What the French left behind is basically what is still there today. Even though a ruin, it's an outstanding example of a castle along the Rhine.
Rheinfels Castle
Schlossberg
56329 St. Goar
Tel: +49 (0) 6741 / 7753
FAX: + 49 (0) 67 41 / 3 83
   
 
 
  What We Saw Tour Down the Rhine (St. Goar to Bacharach)

After Rheinfels Castle, we boarded a KD cruise boat at St. Goar's dock to travel down the Rhine back to Bacharach. It was a pleasant trip that gave us a chance to see some sites only visible from the river and a sense of the heavy traffic on the Rhine river. We traveled along with several barges and passed a number of interesting (Watch Tower first and Local Church second) sites. It's a great way to travel and a very relaxing tour of the Rhine.
Tour Down the Rhine (St. Goar to Bacharach)
Leinpfad
55422 Bacharach
Tel: +49 (0)221/2088-318
FAX: +49 (0)221/2088-345
      
 
 
  Where We Ate Hotel Kranenturm & Restaurant
 
We ate both of our dinners at the Hotel Kranentrum.  The food was plentiful, filling and delicious.
Hotel Kranenturm & Restaurant
Langstrasse 30
Bacharach, 55422 Germany
Tel: 011 49 6743 1308
FAX: 011 49 6743 1021
      
 
 
  Where We Ate

People ate at various places along the Heer-Strasse. 
 
 
  Where We Stayed Hotel Kranenturm
From Rick Steves:
...this hotel is actually part of the medieval fortification. Its former crane towers are now rooms (we stayed in one). When the riverbank was higher, cranes from the towers loaded wine onto Rhine boats.
Hotel Kranenturm
Langstrasse 30
Bacharach, 55422 Germany
Tel: 011 49 6743 1308
FAX: 011 49 6743 1021
            
 
 
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